Category: HVAC

Researchers Look to UVGI To Improve HVAC Performance

HVAC Innovation

Researchers are looking into a new way to improve the air quality and energy efficiency of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. A team from Penn State University have been testing whether ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) would work to help maintain cooling coils and keep them clean.

The team went about testing the air flow, humidity, and pressure drop before and after cleaning the cooling coils with UVGI. They will then use that data to measure what the benefits would be of using it.

HVAC Operations

When an HVAC system is running, microorganisms collect on the coils that transfer heat throughout the system. These fungi and bacteria, along with other materials, can build up to a point that affect the performance of the system as a whole. More energy is used to make up for the gap in performance. Not only that, but the microorganisms are also spread into the building. The condensation that forms on heat transfer coils are what make them particularly susceptible to contamination.

What to Do

There are a few current options for cleaning the coils. They include mechanical and chemical methods. UVGI is also currently used, but because there is very little research about its effectiveness, it is not common. UVGI is a common disinfectant for other applications, but there are concerns not just about the effectiveness for HVAC systems, but also whether it negatively affects air quality. This new research is meant to make determinations on these questions.

The project is currently operating at two test sites. Not only will they be collecting immediate data, but they will also collect data over time to see if the results hold up in the long term. That way, they can see if UVGI continues to be safe and effective after several uses.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have been working to “maximize the actual operational energy performance of buildings and facilities,” and this research coincides with that effort. The hope is that UVGI will prove to be a safe and effective cleaner for HVAC systems, and can be used more widely.

There is a movement across all industries and sectors to be more energy efficient and safer in all things. HVAC systems will continue to improve in both factors through research like this.

If you have any needs for commercial HVAC services, Corporate Mechanical can help. Reach out online or call us at 763-533-3070

Why Hire a Ventilation Service Professional?

Ventilation in your office building is one of the most important aspects of an airtight and environmentally friendly facility. It can help to control the moisture level in the home and to provide energy efficiency, comfortable and healthy place to work. Many people don’t understand just how important it really is. Not only does it eliminate bacteria and disease, but it also allows the exchange of outdoor air with indoor air. Ventilation minimizes odors, moisture and indoor pollutants. Poor ventilation can lead to the growth of volatile organic compounds, radon and formaldehyde in your business. Even high levels of moisture can raise the humidity level leadings to mold growth and structural damage.

When ventilating your business, a professional company such as Corporate Mechanical can make sure that your building is accommodated at a rate of .35 air changes per hour. Proper ventilation should be able to accommodate the best quality of indoor air. The standard ventilation rate is 15 cubic feet per minute. As you can see, it’s important to hire a professional who is used to these calculations and can ensure the proper ventilation is used in your particular building.

It’s also critical that the company you hire for this service understands the basic functions of ventilation before a plan is devised. The ventilation system created should be able to draw in air from the outside, which can consist of less pollutants as well as water vapor. Corporate Mechanical offers a complete ventilation solution using the most updated equipment for your next project at your business. For a properly ventilated business, choose a professional company that is properly trained, experienced and insured. Serving Minnesota residents, they believe in providing a quality service experience to each of their customers time and time again.

Johnson Controls to Provide Rebates on HVAC Equipment For Hurricane Victims

At times of great devastation, it’s important for communities and countries to come together to help those in need. Johnson Controls is doing just that by offering discounts to homeowners in Texas who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. To qualify, residents must live within the designated disaster area as defined by FEMA. The rebates can be used towards the replacement of air-conditioning, heating, and ventilation equipment.

Which Products Qualify?

There are several products that qualify for the rebate, with ones that provide the best Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) offering the best rebates. The more efficient the product, the better. Certain products from Champion, Fraser, Cole, Luxaire, Johnston, Guardian, and Evcon qualify. For air conditioners, if they have a SEER of 20, there is a $250 rebate. It’s $200 for an 18 rating, $150 for 16/17, and $100 for 14. For furnaces, there is a $150 rebate for 90% AFUE models, and $75 for 80% AFUE.

How To Apply

To apply for the rebate, homeowners or Johnson Controls employees can visit johnsoncontrols.com/harvey, or call (855)324-3650. The rebates cannot be used with other rebate offers, but fortunately they can apply retroactively. At the same website, homeowners will find a locater to find certified dealers in their area to make sure that they have a trusted source for their new equipment.

Other Initiatives

Johnson Controls also encourages everyone to donate to the Red Cross to help the recovery effort. The company already donates $500,000 every year to the charity, but have a spot on the site to donate. They’ve also set up a Harvey Relief Fund for employees who have fallen victim to the hurricane. Johnson Controls will match all donations to the fund as well. They have also created a team within the company to help with a strategy to meet the needs of affected employees.

Johnson Controls has stated that its prime concern is with the health and the needs of its employees. With the rebate initiative, and the relief fund for employees, they are showing that everyone must come together to help when disaster strikes.

Corporate Mechanical: Who We Are & What We Do

When it comes to energy conservation and HVAC services, we at Corporate Mechanical bring the most expert experience to the table. While designing and installing all different kinds of mechanical systems, such as piping, plumbing, water treatment, and ductwork, we are sure to be able to engineer the most energy efficient system for your company’s needs.

Our Expertise. We are not a great company all on our own. As our customers look to us to provide high quality services with integrity, we have to give credit to the 30+ licensed and certified technicians on our staff. It is our people that make Corporate Mechanical look good, because they provide superior products with strategic designs. We also back our installations by having our own in-house mechanical engineer. By keeping our engineering in-house, it also provides more cost-effectiveness than outsourcing it to another company. We hire all the best people in order to make our systems work well, and provide quality maintenance services from the best technicians as well. We understand the critical needs of our customers, so we make sure that we set high standards for ourselves in order to meet those needs by using the best minds in the business.

Our Energy Star Certified Products. By offering products that are Energy Star certified, you know that you have a product that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, plus help you save money on energy bills. In order to meet the certification standards, each product must meet the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE energy efficiency guidelines. The Energy Star label can also be given to buildings that show high-energy conservation performance as well. So by using all Energy Star products, your building could receive this label that can give your company an upper-hand in the industry. By improving your business practices by reducing the impact on the environment, the whole world benefits.

We are proud at Corporate Mechanical to offer products and services the can help our customers stay committed to energy conservation and that want to be Energy Star recognized. These special Energy Star products can even get you rebates from Xcel Energy. By working with our Energy Rebate Specialists, we can help you find all of the rebates possible from your equipment, to help you not only save energy, but also save money.

Quick Xcel Energy Rebate Summary:

– Boiler, Cooling Efficiency
– Various Energy Conservation Programs
– Compressed Air
– Lighting & Heating
– Process Efficiency
– Efficiency Controls & Proposals

By choosing Corporate Mechanical for your commercial and industrial mechanical needs, you will have confidence that you will be able to get the most energy efficient system on the market. Our experts work hard to engineer high quality systems that will be Energy Star compliant. Keeping your energy usage and costs to a minimum not only helps your company but also the community.

What New Technology is Changing the HVAC Industry?

We live in a world where we are becoming more connected all the time. We can contact whoever we want from a device we keep in our pocket, and access any information we need using that same device. Our homes are no different. More and more products are coming to the marketplace to help us be connected to, and automate, our home lives like never before. Should HVAC contractors be selling these products along with traditional ones, or leave that to the larger companies and big box stores?

Fringe Items

“Fringe items” is the new buzz term for items that will help connect several aspects of your home. They include locks, sprinkler systems, and lighting systems, for example. For heating and cooling, there are many new options on the scene that contractors can potentially offer to their clients. However, the HVAC industry as a whole has not embraced this new technology in the same way that other industries have. It may be time for contractors to start training both themselves and their staff on new technologies, so they can start seeing the benefits. Once they see the benefits, they will be able to more effectively sell those products and services to their customers and improve their lives.

How it Could Be Successful

It seems that for many contractors, it is all or nothing. They have either embraced home automation, or ignored it completely. The latter group may end up being squeezed out. Selling fringe items means getting to know your clients, and finding out what their needs are. The best thing about new options and technologies is that there is more of an ability to customize, so there’s no reason a client canot get what they want. HVAC contractors are in a unique position when compared to contractors from other industries who are in the home automation game. They often already have paid memberships, and they visit clients’ homes several times a year in some cases. With that relationship comes trust.

Since the world is getting more connected, there’s no reason that the HVAC industry should not embrace the changes. Making clients’ lives easier and providing them with the service should be the primary goal.

The Benefits Of Hiring a Commercial HVAC Maintenance Company

If you own a business, you will certainly understand the importance of keeping it well maintained. Many businesses overlook their HVAC systems and this leads to problems later down the line. For example, you may not realize that your air conditioning isn’t working until a heat wave strikes the area. Your employees will overheat and they won’t work to their maximum ability. This can all have an impact on your business so it really helps to have an HVAC maintenance company on-hand if you want to keep your business operation at a high level of efficiency.

The Benefits of Hiring a Commercial HVAC Maintenance Company

What an HVAC Maintenance Company Can Do For You

An HVAC maintenance company can work with you to make sure that your air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems are in full working order. They can also help you to fix any problems as soon as they arise, and this can help you to save money at a later date. You will also find that by hiring an HVAC professional you can make your systems last much longer and this is a great way to cut back on cost at the end of the year.

An HVAC company will also be able to tell you how energy efficient your systems are. For example, if your systems are not very energy efficient then you could be wasting money from the start of your business day to the moment it closes up for the night. Over the year, this can really add up but it is something that you might not even be aware of. An HVAC professional will be able to help you with all this as well as advising you accordingly so there are certainly many benefits when you hire one for your business.

VRF Market Will See Significant Growth Through 2022

MarketsandMarkets recently released a report stating that the VRF market will see significant growth through 2022. At the moment, sales are expected to reach $24.09 billion by 2022. The global market for VRF (variable refrigerant flow) was valued at $11.08 billion in 2015. That means a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4% will be seen in the next 6 years. As a result, manufacturers expect shipments to maintain exponential growth for years to come. Why such a spike in sales? VRF systems are some of the most energy efficient systems on the HVAC market. Furthermore, they are incredibly simple to install, and just as easy to maintain. But that’s not the only reason for their growing popularity. Continue reading “VRF Market Will See Significant Growth Through 2022”

8 Tips to Save Energy at the Office

It seem energy bills keep getting higher and higher in both the residential world and the commercial world. By switching to more energy-efficient practices, not only will your wallet benefit but also the environment. Take a look at some of these 8 tips to save energy at the office. Some of them are quick fix, change of habit take the tips, as others are going to take some research finding new energy efficient technologies.

8 Tips to Save Energy at the Office


Use Energy Efficient Appliances. Look for appliances that have the Energy Star label on them. This is a movement from the federal government that specially marks high-rated energy efficient appliances.

Do Not Use ‘Standby’ Technology. When leaving the office for the day, be sure that everything is turned completely off and not left on standby mode. Standby keeps the energy flowing into the equipment even when it’s not being used.

Install Window Coverings. The use of blinds or shutters on the windows will help minimize the heat of the sun directly beaming in during the summer. Allowing your AC unit to not have to work harder to keep the air cool. On the flip side, open the shades in the winter to allow the heat and the sunlight in.

Install Motion Sensor Lights. Using a motion sensor type of lighting system in the office can help eliminate energy use from people leaving lights on. This is most practical in break rooms, bathroom and anywhere that would be easy for a turned on light to go unnoticed.

Install Water-Saving Fixtures. Saving water is also another way to conserve energy. Installing water saving faucets can help improve the amount of water used. Also, the use of low-flush or even dual-flush toilets can help keep the water use to a minimum.

Set the Thermostat. Setting the hours and temperatures on your thermostat will help monitor the temperature in your office. While you are present, have the temperature set for what you desire but when you are absent, turn the thermostat down. This will help keep your electric bills down from your heater or AC unit.

Hire a Green Energy Company. There are many utility companies that generate electricity from wind and other green alternative sources. By switching to one of these companies your electric bill may decrease and you will also be helping the environment.

Use Laptops. Your average laptop versus a desktop computer will use less energy and can be more efficient. The idea is to buy the quality computer laptop over and less expensive one.

Taking note of your energy use in the office will help you to better assess the areas in which you can improve. By slowly changing some equipment and habits, you can start to lower the costs of your office energy bills month by month.

New Rooftop HVAC Efficiency Regulations Are Going Into Effect In 2018

It’s only been 20-odd days, and already 2017 has brought with it a whirlwind of change. While many people are busy watching the news or protesting in the streets, HVAC contractors are making preparations. They have less than a year to get ready for the “largest energy-saving standard in history”. The US Department of Energy (DOE’s) new [energy conservation standards for commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, and commercial warm-air furnaces] are set to take effect January 1, 2018. In other words, new rooftop HVAC efficiency regulations are going into effect in 2018, and contractors need to start preparing now! The DOE estimates the new rooftop HVAC standard will save 1.7 trillion kWh over 30 years. In addition, the changes have the potential to net building owners up to $10,000 over the life of a single rooftop unit. The standards will take effect in two phases. But with less than a whole year to go until the first phase, are HVAC contractors ready? Continue reading “New Rooftop HVAC Efficiency Regulations Are Going Into Effect In 2018”